


A Purrfect Guest (Fluff Version)

by drhicks76



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Nepeta November, Pre-Sgrub, Shipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-30
Updated: 2014-11-30
Packaged: 2018-02-27 13:07:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2694155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drhicks76/pseuds/drhicks76
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is my contribution to the Nepeta November challenge on Tumblr!  This is a bit of a crackship/rarepair piece inspired by a friend of mine, shipping Nepeta with Kanaya; I did my very best to make it plausible in canon somehow and set it pre-SGRUB.  This version of the story is the short one; it reads like a happy meeting between two friends who had only ever spoken online.  Just a fun drabble this way.  It ties into events that took place in one of my other shortfics, "In The Night Air", a Vriska/Kanaya pesterlog, taking place a couple of perigees after that tale.  If you'd like to read the full story which (as part of the challenge given to me by a friend of mine) is decidedly more NSFW (but stays quite vanilla and tries to stay as close to the cultural norm for Alternian society), stop by my profile and read that one instead (the first 11 pages of that one form this entire story).  Thanks for giving this a read! :33</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Purrfect Guest (Fluff Version)

     “I still can’t believe you made it all the way across the desert before the sun came up,” Kanaya said as she opened the hive door for her guest.

     “Nothing to it!” Nepeta grinned and grabbed the jadeblood in a tight embrace. “It’s so pawsome to finally meet you!”

 _She actually uses those puns in real life, too. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose._ Kanaya involuntarily stiffened at first but was able to relax as she chuckled over Leijon’s choice of word. “I feel the same. Really, it takes me the better part of two hours to make it to the edge of the dunes. You did it in barely half of that! Aren’t you cold?”

     “Nah! That’s what the jacket and gloves are for!” Nepeta broke the embrace, shook some of the excess ochre sand off of the sleeves of her long green coat and then quickly dusted more from her gloves. “Besides, running keeps the blood pumping, right? And I’ve got slightly warmer blood than you. Why, did Vriskers complain about the cold when she came?”

     “Not terribly. I think she was more irritated about how far away the hoverbus dumped her from here. And about the idea of having to stay up during the day. I decided to just accommodate her and rest through some of the day so we could spend the night together.”

     “Well, you won’t have to worry about that with me,” Nepeta said, all but bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. “I spend a fair bit of time awake during the day, too, but then I think you knew that.”

     Kanaya nodded. “Mmhmm. You’re one of the few I get to chat with on Trollian when I’m at my most alert.   And apparently for some reason, I’m not as alert as I should be; please, come in!”

     “Don’t worry, it’s all good!” Nepeta followed Kanaya inside, set her canvas backpack down on a rug near the floor and let out a low whistle. “Wow… it’s just as beautiful inside as it is outside!”

     “You like it?”

     “You have the most unique hive I’ve ever seen! I mean, the shape of the tower is one thing, but the colourful banners make it just gorgeous. I do love colour!”

     Kanaya was surprised. “You mean you actually noticed that?”

     “Kind of hard to miss!”

     “Oh… I suppose I don’t get many visitors…”

     Nepeta put a hand up on Maryam’s shoulder; she was surprised at how much taller her hostess was than she, but then, most trolls were. _Guess I just assumed she’s so close to me in bloodcolour that she’d be the same height. Never actually met a jadeblood before._ “No, it’s a good thing! Really, I love it! I’m kind of an artist; if there’s one thing I apurrciate, it’s colour!”

     Kanaya smiled at this. “Well, when you put it like that, thank you! Can I get you anything?”

     “I don’t suppose your lusus does the milk thing?”

     “The… ‘milk thing’?”

     “Oh, come on, haven’t you heard Equius mention the lusus milk? He shared some with me last time I visited him. Mine makes some, too, but it’s nowhere near as strong a flavour.”

     Kanaya scrunched up her face as she thought of the idea of milk and where it came from. “Mine has never produced any that I can recall but I will take you and your moirail’s word for it. I do have a selection of teas, though: scarab shedding, ground carapace blend, green ooze, yellow ooze, chamomile, constant crabmeat, red snapbeast and this mix called Unpleasant Slurry I ordered a couple of perigees ago. Care to try it?”

     “Sure! I can have chameowmile at home anytime. I’m all for trying mew things.”

     For a moment, Kanaya contemplated correcting Nepeta’s pronunciation of the words but let it go as soon as she realized this was yet another series of cat puns. Instead she sighed, chuckled to herself and set about fetching mugs and boiling water.

     Nepeta took in her surroundings: they were on the bottom floor of what she knew to be a tall tower. The first thing she noticed was the high white ceilings were adorned in various cloth banners of every hue imaginable, and the second was how clean and orderly everything else was. “Wow, you keep a pretty tidy cave!”

     “Cave?”

     “Oh, right! Sorry… I meant hive. Just a slip of the tongue there.”

     Kanaya chuckled and put the teaspheres into the cups. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to live in a cave. I know it’s all you’ve known but just the idea of being so isolated in the wilderness is almost overwhelming.”

     “You live a long way from the rest of the world, too,” Nepeta replied. “How is it really any different?”

     “Well, aside from a few sand lusii that are easy to spot from a great distance, there’s really little to fear in our desert. Every now and then I need to attend to someone who stumbles upon our little oasis here, but usually their intentions are benign. When they’re not, I have my ways of attending to them.”

     “I am just dying to see that weapon of yours! It took me ages to fashion my claws but I’m so curious to see this chainsaw you mentioned.”

     Kanaya turned around and produced a small white cylinder from the waistband of her skirt. “Chainsaw?” she asked, giving the tube a quick twist which brought a stick of jade green pigment forth. “Whatever are you talking about?”

     Nepeta watched her apply it to her lips, a puzzled look on her face. “Um, you mentioned you had a chainsaw to defen-”

     “Oh! Out the window! Do you see that?”

     “See what?” Nepeta turned her attention to the single window in the block: all she could see was the first rays of daylight punching through the leaves of the trees outside. “I don’t see anything… different…” As soon as her eyes returned to Kanaya, the jadeblood was holding a large white mechanical contraption in her hands. “THAT’S SO COOL HOW DID YOU DO THAT?” she shouted, leaping to her feet.

     “I’m not entirely certain how it works, but I am quite happy that it does.” Kanaya hefted the chainsaw up and was about to engage the motor but stopped short. “Oh, right. Mother gets upset when I run it in the hive.” She swore she could hear Nepeta’s face fall at this so she added, “but maybe I can provide a full demonstration outside later on?”

     “That would be supurrb!”

     Kanaya laughed. “I have never heard that one before, but I don’t think I’ll forget it anytime soon.” With a flick of her wrist, the chainsaw returned to its previous state and she tucked it back into her long red skirt.

     “So… cool…”

     “I think so, too.” Kanaya poured the now boiling water into the cups and brought them to the table, where Nepeta was sitting, wide-eyed. “So, what did you bring for us to work on?”

     “Oh right!” Nepeta sprang from her chair and returned with her canvas knapsack, which was packed to bursting with material. “I’ve got a few ideas, believe me!”

     “Do you have a few nights to stay while we work on them?”

     “Yep! A whole week. My lusus had no problem at all with it, but you know how Equius can be.”

     Kanaya nodded sagely. “His behaviour towards you concerns me on occasion. I hope you don’t think it too forward of me to say so.”

     “No! Totally okay. A lot of people think he’s being controlling but really, it’s just… kind of the way he likes to act?” Nepeta dropped her eyes away for a moment. “Can I tell you something? If you promise to keep it quiet?”

     “Of course. Your secrets are always safe with me.”

     “Thanks.” She gathered up her courage for a moment, then blurted, “He’s actually a big softie but you’d never know it.” Nepeta waited for Kanaya to laugh or roll her eyes but to her surprise, that response never came.

     “I must admit, while on the surface I would not have suspected as such, it always pleases me to learn that any preconceptions I have of someone that might be considered negative are incorrect. I personally wouldn’t have the patience to put up with his peculiar devotion to hemohierachy, but if you tell me that he’s capable of much more than that, I’m pleased to hear it. Most of what I know of him comes from Vriska, of course.”

     “Being his neighbour – and he puts the emphasis on the ‘neigh’ part – I suppose she’d have plenty to say about him. So what _does_ she say?”

     Kanaya took a small sip of her drink. “Not much. She finds his personal deportment rather revolting but then, she has a tendency to exaggerate.”

     Nepeta snorted. “You’re not kidding!” She immediately brought her hand up to her mouth as soon as she said the words. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be a jerk about your moirail.”

     “No worries. I am the one who said it, after all.”

     “Whew!” Nepeta thought for a moment about adding to this and then chose to. “She is your moirail, right? Some of the things you were telling me last week suggested something possibly a touch redder?”

     Kanaya fought the smile but failed miserably. “Perhaps. Some of our activities have suggested so. At least, the things we were doing would be considered by many to be the province of red lovers…”

     Nepeta watched as Kanaya’s expression darkened as quickly as it brightened a few moments earlier. “What? Is something else going on?”

     “I just… Maybe I’m just being silly.”

     “You can tell me, Kan! I’ll keep your secrets, too.” She reached across the table and placed her hand on top of Maryam’s and was pleased that it wasn’t withdrawn.

     “Well, remember how I mentioned Tavros the other night? And how he was acting rather strangely around Vriska online?”

     “I do. I kinda saw what you were talking about but then, with Tavros, it’s tough to tell when he’s being silly or when he’s being serious.”

     Kanaya sighed. “I know. This is what I was referring to, though. Ever since I made that dress for her to wear with his Pupa Pan one, he’s been constantly roleplaying with her online and I’m sure they’re going to have another FLARP session soon enough.”

     Nepeta did her best to repress a shiver. “Yeah… that’s kind of a scary thought.”

     “I must confess that I believed you’d be quite into that sort of thing.”

     “Oh, I am! Well, maybe less so these nights.”

     “How come?”

     Nepeta wrestled with this. _Should I tell her?_ “The last time I was in a FLARP was with Vriska. It was fun… to start…”

     “Oh. She has mentioned she went out with you once.”

 _That pause is lingering a bit too long._ “Uh huh… what did she say about it? Don’t worry, you can be honest. I’d prefurr it, actually.”

     The pun made Kanaya smile in spite of herself. “All right. She said that while you were really cute and all kinds of adventurous, she was frustrated by your, in her words, lack of killer instinct.” Nepeta nodded and Kanaya added, “Please don’t be upset. Her words, not mine, and I don’t know the situation.”

     “No, no! It’s okay.   Her opinion of ‘killer instinct’ and mine is a bit different. See, when I’m hunting, I know when to kill. I choose animals that are the right age and in the right place. I won’t kill for the sake of it or for pleasure. I have had to kill people who were threatening me or harming those who didn’t deserve it. I’m not proud of those moments but I refuse to stand by and watch others be hurt. That scenario involved the potential for injuring other FLARPers instead of just tagging them. She wanted to make it look accidental but the injuries would have been real enough to, as she said, ‘teach them a lesson so that they don’t fuck up the same way twice.’ As she was setting up to do so, I intervened and that, plus having to deal with the fact that I actually got the drop on her, really made her mad. We still talk and all; we did have a pretty good time when it came to the non-FLARP stuff, but we have no plans on going out to role play again anytime soon. At least, not in real life.” _And considering Kanaya here might be a bit jealous of Tavros, I best keep the non-FLARP activity quiet for now, too,_ she thought while she waited for Kanaya’s reply _._

     “That sounds like Vriska, all right. No sense in denying it. But I suppose that’s the role of the moirail, isn’t it? To keep someone from getting involved in things they shouldn’t be?”

     Nepeta laughed at this. “Yeah, it is. Do you know how many times I’ve had to talk Equius out of saying something really typist to somebody else, even though his intentions aren’t as bad as his words would sound?”

     “I’m trying to think of a situation where those kind of words could actually be anything other than offensive. There are those who can get away with the occasional off-colour joke but honestly, he comes off as rather overbearing and elitist at times.”

     “And that’s just it! He’s really not like that! He’s just trying to fulfill the role that he thinks society demands he play. In his own way, maybe he’s just a roleplayer like me?”

     Kanaya considered this. “Interesting way to look at it, I must admit. I suspect he’s more likely to be that way than Eridan, at least.”

     Nepeta let out a long sigh. “Yeah. Vriskers can give me the jeebs now and then but that guy… he not only sounds like a stereotypical seadweller, I think he means it.”

     “I’ve had the pleasure of trying to auspistice between him and Vriska. I think you’re absolutely correct in your assessment.”

     “Auspistice those two? Wow, that’s getting inclade, isn’t it? You sure you can handle something like that? No offense, but that can get kind of heavy, especially with an ashen relationship.”

     Kanaya took another sip of her tea and savoured it, letting it roll around on her tongue before replying. “I seem to have a knack with auspistism. I know many shy away from it, but to be honest, I think helping others is the noblest thing one can do.”

     “I’m glad there are people like you willing to do it! I mean, it’s one thing to have Equius looking out for me, even though I can look after myself just fine, but to try to keep a genocidal maniac-in-training from falling into a kismesissitude with someone like her who has no qualms about killing? That’s a whole other ball of fish!”

     “That’s cute; I’ll have to remember that one, too.”

     Nepeta grinned and tried to take a drink of her tea. “Me-OW! Hot! How did you drink yours so fast?”

     “Heat never bothered me terribly much, I suppose. Maybe it comes with being able to walk in the daylight? Speaking of which, sorry we got sidetracked; what did you bring with you for materials?”

     “Oh right!” Nepeta opened her backpack and first extracted a long piece of white fur. “I stripped this from something I hunted one morning. I couldn’t believe it was almost perfectly my size! That is, I have a feeling I’m not likely to grow much more, so it should work well.”

     Kanaya unrolled the animal skin and examined it: it was basically an unmounted rug, the entire hide of an animal with the legs and claws and head still attached, but the skin beneath was nice and supple. “I can work with this, but what exactly do you have in mind?”

     “A disguise, basically! I want to be able to lash it around my neck, wrists and ankles and hunt in it. By wearing this, I should be able to sneak up on larger game. It’s also like a roleplay in a way; I’ll have to learn how these animals move in order to be convincing enough.”

     “That’s actually a really good idea.” She looked Nepeta over quickly and then sized up the pelt again. “I believe this should cover you well.”

     “Yay! I also brought some of this, too.” The oliveblood pulled out a clump of similar fur, this bunch being in pieces but also dyed a shade of blue. “Just for my own pleasure, could you make this into a pair of slippers? I’d really like a pair of cat feet… if that’s not too silly.”

     Kanaya smiled. “Not at all. Nothing’s too silly if it’s something you enjoy.”

     “Really? Aw, thanks!” Nepeta leapt up from her chair and came around the table to give Kanaya another hug. Kanaya rose to meet her and as Nepeta embraced her, she bumped something on the jadeblood’s waist, causing Kanaya’s clothing to suddenly change. “Whoa! What happened? What did I do?”

     “It’s all right; that’s my wardrobifier.”

     “Your whowhatnow?”

     Kanaya reached down to her waist and pressed a small button. Her clothing, which had switched to a blue silk gown, changed again into a light green dress with a pink ribbon tied around her waist. “Wardrobifier. It allows me to switch outfits depending on my mood without having to go all the way upstairs to change.”

     “How does it work?” Nepeta asked.

     “Quite well, thanks.”

     It took a moment for Nepeta to realize what Kanaya was up to, but when she did she laughed. “You’re just as snarky in person, you know that?”

     “I try.”

     “Haha! You succeed, too! Anyway, I also brought this stuff…” Nepeta resumed rummaging through her knapsack, tossing various scraps of fabric and animal fur onto the table for Kanaya’s perusal. “I was kinda hoping you might be able to make some neat costumes out of these?”

     Kanaya looked over the clothes the oliveblood was wearing at the moment: her trenchcoat was decidedly well-worn, and both the black t-shirt adorned with her symbol and her khaki pants had seen better days, the desert sand notwithstanding. “I should be able to fashion something out of them. Would you like me to try and put together some new daily wear for you as well?”

     “Why?” Nepeta asked plaintively. “Is there something wrong with these?”

     “Oh! No, not at all; it was just that… in case you wanted to have an extra set to wear… and clothes are hard to come by where you live…”

     “Yeah, they can be; all I usually run across are bits and scraps of material so it’s rare to find an intact pair of pants. Besides, these are so comfy! I do my best to wash them in the river, but they are wearing down a bit, I guess.”

     Kanaya was quietly relieved her guest wasn’t inadvertently insulted by her offer. “Let me see what I can do for you. But if it’s all the same, I’d rather start on that tomorrow. Besides, I suspect you’re probably fatigued from your journey.”

     Nepeta nodded. “A little. While I don’t mind being up in the morning, it was a pretty long run through the sand.”

     “How about you grab your tea and we can take a tour of the hive, then? You can use my shower to clean up and I have a small cot I can set up in my respiteblock for you beside my recupracoon.”

     “Sounds great!” Nepeta set about stuffing her material back into her bag and then slung it over her shoulder before grabbing her teacup. “Lead the way!”

     Kanaya chuckled. “Your enthusiasm is infectious, you know.”

     Nepeta beamed in response. “I sure do! Let’s go!”

 

 

     “YOU MADE THESE FUR ME WHILE I WAS SLEEPING? THEY’RE SO PAWSOME! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!”

     Kanaya waited patiently while Nepeta power-hugged her to express her gratitude at the gift she left beside the oliveblood’s cot. “Oof… No problem! And you’re very welcome! The shoes were quite easy to make.”

     “BUT IT’S THE HAT! HOW DID YOU DO IT?”

     “Let’s just say I was inspired by the footwear.”

     Nepeta let go long enough to toss her new slippers down on the floor to put them on and moments later, the blue fur hat, complete with holes wide enough to accommodate her horns and a simple kitty face on the front, was perched atop her head. “This is AMAZING! I never would have thought this even possible?”

     “You don’t mind that I used the blue fur for this?”

     “Are you kidding? This is better than I even thought possible!” Nepeta scurried over to the full length mirrors in one of the corners of Kanaya’s respiteblock and stared at her reflection. “This is just PURRFECT! I can’t even!”

     Kanaya gave her a funny look. “Can’t even what?”

     The answer came as yet another hug. “You don’t understand! No one has ever done anything like this… for me… before...”

     She let go quite suddenly and turned away, which left Maryam rather baffled. “Nepeta? Are you okay?”

     “Mmhmm. Just need a minute.” She raised her wrist to her face and wished she was wearing her long coat at the time.

     Kanaya gathered that her guest was overwhelmed and opted to just stand back for a moment and wait for Nepeta to gather herself. After about a minute she said, “I’m truly touched you think so highly of it. I must admit that my… moirail didn’t exactly react the same way last time I made her something.”

     Nepeta sniffed and turned to face Kanaya, a few olive streaks still smeared across her face. “Really? That… doesn’t seem right to me. These are really something else!”

     “Some people just express themselves differently, I suppose. Vriska gets excited in her own way but much of it is aimed at the object itself versus the person who presented the gift.” Kanaya paused and let her head hang forward. “Forgive me; that was rather selfish.”

     Nepeta answered not with her voice but with another kind hug, which lasted the better part of a minute. “I apurrciate this so much. Thank you.”

     “You’re quite welcome. And the good news is that we’re just getting started.”

     Kanaya tried to stifle a yawn but Nepeta picked up on it immediately. “Were you up all day making these?”

     “I was awake anyway. I tried getting up well before sunup in an attempt to transition over to your hours a bit. All I need is a bit of a nap and I should be fine.”

     “Did you want to use my cot?” Nepeta offered. “No sense getting all sopor slimy just for a nap, right?”

     “Actually, that’s not a bad idea.” Kanaya let go of the smiling oliveblood and made her way over to the simple bed that was now set up beside the recupracoon that hung from the ceiling in her respiteblock. The sun had set and she turned on a small glowglobe so that Nepeta could find her way around. “All I need is a couple of hours, I’m sure.”

     “If you want a bit more than that, I don’t mind.”

     “Are you certain?” Kanaya asked as she sat down on the cot and stretched her long arms over her head and yawned again.

     “For sure!”

     “Do you need something to do? My lusus is likely resting now but you can do as you like. I have ample books and movies downstairs to choose from.”

     Nepeta looked down at her fuzzy blue footwear. “Actually, if you’d like, I’d be willing to cuddle up with you...”

     Kanaya looked at her with a mix of curiousity and confusion. “But you just slept for the better part of eight hours; are you certain?”

     “Kan, I could sleep away a whole night and day. Sometimes I’m up that long hunting but there’s nothing I enjoy more than curling up with my Pouncekitty and just dozing away, all nice and warm. There’s something kinda... healing about it, you know?”

     “Admittedly, I don’t,” Kanaya replied. “Well, I’d be willing to try it if you’re certain you could sleep a little longer...” She had barely finished saying the words when Nepeta was laying down beside her in the cot. “I see.”

     “How about you just face that way and I’ll cuddle up behind you and keep you warm. How’s that sound?”

     “You know, I rather like the sound of that.” Kanaya rolled over to face the wall and a few moments later, felt Nepeta’s arm drape over her shoulder and her thighs snuggle in to the backs of her own.

     “Comfy?”

     “Quite, actually. More than I thought I would be.” A pause. “I’ve never actually shared a ‘coon or a cot with anyone else before.”

     “That’s okay,” purred Nepeta, “you’re doing just fine. Now, just take some deep breaths, count backwards from thirty-three and... oh. You’re already out.” With a satisfied smile on her face, Nepeta nuzzled in behind her and closed her eyes.

 


End file.
